Protective garment with improved comfort

ABSTRACT

A protective garment particularly for wear by operators and passengers of open-air sport motor vehicles, such as motorcycles for example, includes a garment body which may be configured as a jacket or coat, and which includes a vertically extending and offset curvilinear opening selectively closed by a fastener, such as a slide fastener or zipper, for example, and which provides for substantially sealing the front of the garment against seepage into the garment of pressurized air caused by the air blast on the wearer&#39;s front torso resulting from vehicle motion at speed. The garment also provides a pair of unitary uninterrupted display areas disposed one on each of the front and back of the garment torso, and at which a graphic, logo, trademark, or sponsorship information, for example, may be presented.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention is in the field of protective clothing, andrelates to a protective garment to be worn by operators and/orpassengers of open-air sport motor vehicles, such as motorcycles,personal watercraft, snowmobiles, and perhaps even open sport aircraft,for example. The garment may take the form of a jacket or coat, and isespecially configured and structured to provide both improved protectionfor the wearer's chest from the air blast produced by motion of anopen-air sport vehicle at speed, as well as providing improved wearingcomfort. The garment also provides an improved configuration of displayarea on the wearer's front torso for presentation of a graphic,trademark, or logo, for example.

[0003] 2. Related Technology

[0004] Examples of leather coats and jackets which are conventional areseen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,608,715, issued Sep. 2, 1986 to Richard Millerand John Wyckoff; in U.S. Pat. No. 5,105,715, issued Apr. 21, 1992 toPaul Golde, and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,042, issued Apr. 16, 1996 toMichael van der Slessen. German patent publication No. DE 3818-566-A1published Dec. 7, 1989, provides another example of this conventionalapproach to providing protection and ventilation to riders ofmotorcycles. U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,336 provides an example of a fabricjacket or coat that well suits the wide range of requirements for astreet motorcycle rider.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] In view of the deficiencies of the related technology, a primaryobject of this invention is to avoid one or more of these deficiencies.

[0006] More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide aprotective garment for wear by operators and/or passengers of open-airsport motor vehicles, which will provide physical protection to thewearer, and also has improved wearing comfort.

[0007] Another object for this invention is to provide such a protectivegarment having an improved display area on the wearer's front torso forpresentation of a logo, trademark, or graphic, for example.

[0008] Accordingly, the present invention according to one aspectprovides a protective garment especially configured for wear byoperators and passengers of open-air sport motor vehicles in order toprovide air blast protection to the wearer's front torso, the garmentcomprising: a garment shell, the garment shell having: a front panel anda back panel cooperatively providing a neck opening; a pair of sleeves,one for each of the wearer's arms; a generally vertically extendingcurvilinear and frontally offset opening dividing the front panel intotwo substantially unequal parts and allowing ingress and egress from thegarment, the larger of the two unequal parts of the front panelproviding an exterior surface across which air blast flows duringvehicle motion at speed from a centrally located high pressure area andtoward the offset opening; and the smaller of the two unequal parts ofthe front panel carrying an internally disposed wind flap extendingbeneath the larger front panel part toward the high pressure area, andover which the larger part of the front panel laps when the opening isclosed, thereby to resist seepage of air blast into the garment via theopening.

[0009] Accordingly, the present invention according to another aspectpresents a method of protecting the front torso of a wearer who is arider or passenger on an open air sport motor vehicle from the air blastproduced by motion of the vehicle at speed, the method including stepsof: providing a protective garment including a garment shell; includingin the garment shell a front panel and a back panel cooperativelyproviding a neck opening; a pair of sleeves, one for each of thewearer's arms; a generally vertically extending curvilinear andfrontally offset opening dividing the front panel into two substantiallyunequal parts and allowing ingress and egress from the garment;utilizing the larger of the two unequal parts of the front panel toprovide an exterior surface across which air blast flows during vehiclemotion at speed from a centrally located high pressure area and towardthe offset opening; and providing the smaller of the two unequal partsof the front panel with an internally disposed wind flap extendingbeneath the larger front panel part toward the high pressure area, andlapping the larger part of the front panel over the wind flap in orderto resist seepage of pressurized air into the garment at the opening.

[0010] A better understanding of the present invention will be obtainedfrom reading the following description of a preferred exemplaryembodiment of the present invention when taken in conjunction with theappended drawing Figures, in which the same features (or featuresanalogous in structure or function) are indicated with the samereference numeral throughout the several views. It will be understoodthat the appended drawing Figures and description here following relateonly to one exemplary preferred embodiment of the invention, and assuch, are not to be taken as implying a limitation on the invention. Nosuch limitation on the invention is implied, and none is to be inferred.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

[0011]FIG. 1 provides a perspective frontal view of a motorcycle riderwearing a garment in the form of a jacket embodying the presentinvention;

[0012]FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the jacket seen in FIG. 1;

[0013]FIG. 3 is a rear elevation view of the jacket seen in FIGS. 1 and2; and

[0014]FIG. 4 provides another front elevation view of the jacket as seenin FIGS. 1-3, but with the front closure opened and part of the frontpanel moved aside to better illustrate details of the structure of thejacket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF AN EXEMPLARY PREFERRED EMBODIMENT OF THEINVENTION

[0015] Viewing first FIG. 1, a motorcycle rider 10 is seen riding amotorcycle 12. Because of the speed of forward movement of themotorcycle (indicated by arrow 14), the rider 10 is subjected to amoving air stream (i.e., an air blast) relatively moving in the rearwarddirection (as is indicated on FIG. 1 by arrow 16). A part of this movingair stream 16, which part is indicated with arrow 16′, flows over thetop of the windscreen of the motorcycle 12, and against the front of therider 10, especially producing a high pressure area 16a at the frontcenter of the rider's chest.

[0016] In this context, it is to be noted that with many modern sportmotorcycles having a fairing the windscreen is not as high as theperspective of FIG. 1 makes it appear. In fact, with many modern fairedsport motorcycles and with motorcycles having no fairing, the chest andupper body of the rider is completely, or substantially completely,exposed to the air blast 16. Thus, the rider 10, and especially therider's chest, is exposed to the high pressure 16a from the air blast16. Were the rider wearing a conventional jacket or coat this highpressure would cause a significant air flow to enter the rider's garmentby penetrating (i.e., seeping) through the front jacket opening. Withconventional jackets and coats, this penetrating air flow can besignificant enough that on cold days the rider will experience a cold orchilled area of the chest immediately inside the jacket opening.However, it will be seen that the rider 10 is wearing a jacket embodyingthe present invention (to be further described below), and one which isboth comfortable to wear and especially configured to resist entry ofair into the jacket via the front opening and onto the rider's chest. Itwill be seen that from the high pressure area 16 a, air flows laterallyin each direction 16 b and 16 c respectively to the rider's right andleft side of the rider's torso.

[0017] Continuing with a consideration of FIG. 1, it will be noted thatthe rider 10 is wearing a helmet 18, and in addition to boots and gloves(not referenced on the drawing Figures) is also wearing a protectivegarment 20, which in this case takes the form of a jacket. It will beunderstood that the invention is not limited to its use by motorcycleriders, and that other operators and/or passengers of open-air sportmotor vehicles may benefit from the use of this invention. Further, theinvention is not limited to embodiment in a jacket, and may findembodiment in a coat, or even in a full-coverage one-piece or two-piececoverall type of garment or riding suit, for example.

[0018] As is seen in FIG. 1, and as best seen by reference to FIGS. 2-4,the garment (i.e., jacket) 20 includes a front panel 20 f, which is intwo parts, a right hand part 20 f′ and a left hand part 20 f′, with thetwo parts cooperatively defining an off center, curved (i.e.,curvilinear), and generally laterally and vertically extending openingor parting line 20 o. The opening or parting 20 o is conventionallysecured closed by the use of a slide fastener 22 (i.e., a zipper, forexample—best seen in FIG. 4) and may also be secured at or adjacent itsupper and/or lower ends by one or more straps 22 a carrying part 22 b ofa snap closure or an area of a hook-and-loop fastener. The jacket 20 ofthe present embodiment includes a strap 22 a near the upper extent ofopening 20 o. Thus, the slide fastener 22 and/or straps 22 a with snapsor hook-and-loop fastener areas 22 b allow this opening 20 o to beselectively opened and closed by the rider 10 to allow the jacket 20 tobe put on and taken off.

[0019] Considering the front panel 20 f, it is seen that the right handpart 20 f′ and left hand part 20 f″ of this panel are not of equal size,and that the panel parts are unequal in area because of the off centerlocation and configuration of the opening 20 o and fastener 22 at thisopening. The opening 20 o forms an off center intersection with a bandcollar 24 of the jacket, and an off center intersection of the opening20 o with the waist band 26 of the jacket. Between the intersections ofthe opening 20 o with the collar 24 and waist band 26, the opening 20 ois substantially composed of a lower laterally offset and generallystraight section 20 o′, leading upwardly from the waist band 26 to aninwardly curving section 20 o″, and also includes an angulated generallystraight section 20 o′″ leading from the section 20 o″ upwardly andinwardly to an intersection with the band collar 24.

[0020] It is to be noted on FIGS. 1 and 2 that because of the positionand configuration of the opening 20 o and fastener 22, the front panel20 f provides a large and essentially uninterrupted area 20 f′″ at whicha logo (a decorative graphic, or a sponsor's logo or trademark, forexample) may be displayed. Viewing the drawing Figures, this logo ortrademark, for example, is indicated by the word “LOGO.” It will beunderstood that the invention is not so limited, and that the area 20f′″ may be used as desired to display any kind of graphic, trademark, orlogo, or alternatively may be left blank. But, it is to be noted that agraphic, trademark, or logo displayed on the area 20 f′″ of the presentinventive jacket (i.e., on the front panel of this jacket) 12 need notbe divided or separated into two parts by a parting line (as isconventional with jackets having straight vertical centered, or straightangulated parting lines of the front panel).

[0021] Further, the jacket 20 provides a unitary front panel part 20 f′″near the center of the rider's chest that both provides for display of acomplete undivided graphic or logo and which receives the high pressurearea 16 a (recalling FIG. 1). Because there is no opening of the jacket20 at this high pressure area 16 a, the pressurized air cannot seepthrough such an opening to chill the rider's chest. It will be notedthat the flow arrow 16 b flows from the high pressure area 16 a towardand over the parting line or opening 20 o. As will be seen, thelocation, configuration, and arrangement of the parting line 20 o andclosure 22 of the present jacket 20 further provide for especiallyeffective wind protection for the rider 10.

[0022] Continuing with a consideration of the jacket 20, it is seen thatthis jacket also includes a rear panel 20 r, and is provided withsleeves 28 r and 28 l (for “right” and “left”) each having a cuff 30provided with a cuff opening 30′ (shown closed in the drawing Figures)extending upwardly along the sleeve (i.e., to allow the cuff to opensufficiently to pass the rider's hand) and with a cuff closure structure30 a (i.e., a zipper or slide fastener, for example—the zipper pull ofwhich is best seen in FIG. 4), allowing the cuff to be selectivelyopened and closed to allow the rider 10 to put on and take off thejacket 20.

[0023] Considering the rear panel 20 r, it is seen that this panel alsoprovides a unitary graphic or logo display area 20 r′, sized andconfigured similarly to that of the front panel 20 f. In this respect,the jacket 20 is unique in that it provides essentially the same size ofunitary, undivided area front and back for the display of a logo,trademark, or graphic. Similarly, the sleeves 28 r and 28 l each providea respective graphic display area 28 r′ and 28 l′.

[0024] Turning now to a consideration of FIG. 4, it is seen that thejacket 20 includes an inner wind flap 32 which extends internally of thejacket 20 over the rider's front torso from adjacent the parting line 20o and closure 22 toward the location of the high pressure area 16 a. Theinternal wind flap 32 extends vertically of the jacket 20 substantiallyfrom the waist band 26 up to adjacent the collar 24. The front panelportion 20 f″ overlies this wind flap 32, and laps over the wind flap 32in the direction of air flow 16 b from the high pressure area 16 atoward the rider's right side (i.e., toward the side of the rider wherethe parting line 20 o and slide fastener 22 are disposed). Consequently,air flow 16 b from the high pressure area 16 a flows over the partingline 20 o and slide fastener 22 in a direction contrary to that whichwould effectively move air (i.e., cause air seepage) through thefastener 22 and between the wind flap 32 and the front panel portion 20f″ of the jacket 20. As a result, the rider experiences essentially noair seepage into the jacket via the opening 20 o.

[0025] Further, it has been determined that because of the offset andcurvilinear disposition of the opening 20 o and of the slide fastener22, the rider 10 experiences an increased comfort level while wearingthe jacket 20 and operating an open air sport motor vehicle, especiallywhile operating a sport motor cycle. It is believed that this subjectiveimpression of increased comfort level for the rider 10 may result fromthe front panel 20 f of the jacket being more readily flexible in orderto accommodate the semi-crouch position in which the rider 10 isdisposed on the motorcycle 12. Such a semi-crouch position is especiallyutilized by riders of high-performance sport motorcycles, such ascurrent high-performance 600 cc and larger displacement high-performancefaired sport motorcycles.

[0026] While the present invention has been depicted, described, and isdefined by reference to a single particularly preferred embodiment ofthe invention, such reference does not imply a limitation on theinvention, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The invention iscapable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents inform and function, as will occur to those ordinarily skilled in thepertinent arts. The depicted and described preferred embodiment of theinvention is exemplary only, and is not exhaustive of the scope of theinvention. Consequently, the invention is intended to be limited only bythe spirit and scope of the appended claims, giving full cognizance toequivalents in all respects.

I claim:
 1. A protective garment especially configured for wear byoperators and passengers of open-air sport motor vehicles in order toprovide air blast protection to the wearer's front torso, said garmentcomprising: a garment shell, said garment shell having: a front paneland a back panel cooperatively providing a neck opening; a pair ofsleeves, one for each of the wearer's arms; a generally verticallyextending curvilinear and frontally offset opening dividing said frontpanel into two substantially unequal parts and allowing ingress andegress from said garment, the larger of said two unequal parts of saidfront panel providing an exterior surface across which air blast flowsduring vehicle motion at speed from a centrally located high pressurearea and toward said offset opening; and the smaller of said two unequalparts of said front panel carrying an internally disposed wind flapextending beneath said larger front panel part toward said high pressurearea, and over which the larger part of said front panel laps when saidopening is closed, thereby to resist seepage of air blast into saidgarment via said opening.
 2. The garment of claim 1 wherein said largerfront panel part provides a unitary display area for carrying a logo,trademark, or graphic.
 3. A method of protecting the front torso of awearer who is a rider or passenger on an open air sport motor vehiclefrom the air blast produced by motion of the vehicle at speed, saidmethod including steps of: providing a protective garment including agarment shell; including in the garment shell a front panel and a backpanel cooperatively providing a neck opening; a pair of sleeves, one foreach of the wearer's arms; a generally vertically extending curvilinearand frontally offset opening dividing said front panel into twosubstantially unequal parts and allowing ingress and egress from saidgarment; utilizing the larger of said two unequal parts of said frontpanel to provide an exterior surface across which air blast flows duringvehicle motion at speed from a centrally located high pressure area andtoward said offset opening; and providing the smaller of the two unequalparts of said front panel with an internally disposed wind flapextending beneath said larger front panel part toward said high pressurearea, and lapping the larger part of said front panel over said windflap in order to resist seepage of pressurized air into the garment atsaid opening.
 4. A protective garment having a unitary front displayarea upon which a logo, trademark, or graphic may be displayed, saidgarment comprising: a garment shell, said garment shell having: a frontpanel and a back panel cooperatively providing a neck opening; a pair ofsleeves, one for each of the wearer's arms; a generally verticallyextending curvilinear and frontally offset opening dividing said frontpanel into two substantially unequal parts and allowing ingress andegress from said garment, the larger of said two unequal parts of saidfront panel providing a unitary front display area extendingsubstantially from a waist line of said jacket vertically substantiallyto said neck opening, and said display area extending horizontallybetween said opening and a line equivalently offset to an opposite sideof the wearer's chest to define a horizontal dimension, said horizontaldimension being a major fraction of the horizontal extent of thewearer's chest.
 5. A protective garment having a pair of unitary,undivided display areas, one display area on the front torso of thegarment and the other display area on the rear torso of the garment, andupon this pair of display areas respective logos, trademarks, orgraphics may be displayed, said garment comprising: a garment shell,said garment shell having: a front panel and a back panel, said backpanel providing a respective one of said unitary, undivided displayareas, and said front panel and back panel cooperatively providing aneck opening; a pair of sleeves, one for each of the wearer's arms; agenerally vertically extending curvilinear and frontally offset openingdividing said front panel into two substantially unequal parts andallowing ingress and egress from said garment, said opening extendingfrom front off center of a waist line of the garment upwardlysubstantially vertically to a curved part of said opening, the curvedpart of said opening being disposed substantially at mid-chest level andturning inwardly of the wearer's chest, and an angulated portion of saidopening extending from said curved part of said opening to a front offcenter intersection with said neck opening, and the larger of said twounequal parts of said front panel providing said unitary, undividedfront display area extending substantially from said waist line of saidjacket vertically substantially to said neck opening, and said displayarea extending horizontally from said opening to cover a major fractionof the front of the wearer's chest.